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Director Kathryn Bigelow, who won an Oscar for the movie "The Hurt Locker" and whose current film "Zero Dark Thirty" is about the US operation to kill Osama bin Laden, arrives with Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez (C) and screenwriter Mark Boal at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences 4th annual Governors Awards in Hollywood December 1, 2012. — Photo by Reuters

NEW YORK: The prestigious New York Film Critics Circle gave “Zero Dark Thirty,” Kathryn Bigelow's thriller about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, a new shove in the direction of Oscar glory on Monday.

The director of the Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker” is quickly gathering buzz for her latest war drama, which recounts the decade-long search for the al Qaeda founder and his killing in Pakistan in May 2011.

The critics group named the film best of 2012 and Bigelow best director.

Honors from the NYFCC, made up of newspaper, magazine and online critics, have no direct bearing on the Academy Awards, but the extra publicity won't hurt a film that will not even open in limited release until December 19.

The group highlighted Daniel Day-Lewis in Steven Spielberg's likely Oscar contender “Lincoln” for best actor.

The historical biopic also saw Sally Field winning best supporting actress and Tony Kushner best screenplay.

“Zero Dark Thirty” centers on a female CIA analyst — played by Jessica Chastain — credited as a key force in the hunt for the al Qaeda chief, killed by US Navy SEALs in an audacious dead-of-night raid on his hiding place in Pakistan.

“'Zero Dark Thirty' could well be the most impressive film Bigelow has made, as well as possibly her most personal,” commented the Hollywood Reporter, after initial screenings of the movie.

Entertainment Weekly tipped it as a possible nominee for best film, best director, best screenplay and best leading actress for Chastain, who was Oscar nominated for her supporting role in last year's civil rights drama “The Help.”

“Zero Dark Thirty” gets its limited US release this month to qualify for February's Academy Awards show, but the general release is not until January.

Comments (6) Closed

Thats because the movie you saw was a documentary film made by History Channel, not Katherine Bigelow. The original movie is not even released, how will you see it ?? (facepalm)

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shahdeeldar

Dec 04, 2012 01:58pm

You expected film to be made right in the Abbotabad area at the same location?

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Shah Deeldar

Dec 04, 2012 01:55pm

That bird has stopped singing right after that sting operation! What does it tell you? He is dead, brother.

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Guest

Dec 05, 2012 03:32am

where did you see the movie mate, i believe it hasnt even been released yet.
"Zero Dark Thirty

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saeed

Dec 04, 2012 09:45am

It is such a poorly made film. They showed Indian roads with sign boards in hindi as Abbotabad and Peshawar streets. Most of the actors playing as Pakistanis were using hindi words . . . At one point, one person in Abbotabad was shouting

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hamid Shafiq

Dec 04, 2012 11:24am

100 % support to your comments becuase its every time it shows indian side and display pakistan but if some thing is lie always a lie. who knows osama bin laden died or not. becuase i do not accepted becuase if you go to abbottababd where every where military and intelignece and osama live in compund and no body knows i do not support this thing and american come and kill easily very strange.